Driven by a desire to find new structural polysaccharides using enzymatic syntheses or genetic engineering of microorganisms or plant hosts, researchers have discovered polysaccharides that are biodegradable, and that can be made economically from renewable resource-based feedstocks. One such polysaccharide is poly alpha-1,3-glucan, a glucan polymer characterized by having alpha-1,3-glycosidic linkages. This polymer has been isolated by contacting an aqueous solution of sucrose with a glucosyltransferase enzyme isolated from Streptococcus salivarius (Simpson et al., Microbiology 141:1451-1460, 1995).
U.S. Pat. No. 7,000,000 disclosed the preparation of a polysaccharide fiber comprising hexose units, wherein at least 50% of the hexose units within the polymer were linked via alpha-1,3-glycosidic linkages using an S. salivarius gtfJ enzyme. This enzyme utilizes sucrose as a substrate in a polymerization reaction producing poly alpha-1,3-glucan and fructose as end-products (Simpson et al., 1995). The disclosed polymer formed a liquid crystalline solution when it was dissolved above a critical concentration in a solvent or in a mixture comprising a solvent. From this solution continuous, strong, cotton-like fibers, highly suitable for use in textiles, were spun and used.
Modified cellulosic polymers have been used in detergent formulations to provide a variety of benefits including anti-redeposition and fabric care benefits (U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,012,053, 7,056,880, 6,579,840, 7,534,759, 7,576,048). Some of these polymers have also been used to adjust the viscosity of the detergent formulation itself. However, lack of stability of cellulose-based polymers to cellulases is a major limitation for using these polymers in detergent formulations. Enzymes used in detergents often contain trace amounts of cellulase. Also, cellulase is generally included in detergent formulations to provide color clarification and pill removal benefits. But the incompatibility of cellulosic polymers and cellulase enzymes limits the use of these components together in a formulation.